@California Travel Insider

Friday, 10 May 2019

As I've often noted: When it comes to ice cream I can take it or leave it. Unless, that is, it's the right ice cream. I have a short list of "right" favorites, but am always open to new temptations and have been known to drive many miles for an ice cream fix. Nothing gets my taste buds a fluttering quite like fresh strawberry ice cream! Word of Two Dog Night Creamery has piqued my interest. Did someone say, "Road trip!"

This just in from Sonoma County Tourism: Enjoy fresh, farm-to-cone ice cream in delicious seasonal flavors at the new Two Dog Night Creamery in Windsor, in northern Sonoma County.

The organic ice cream and cones are handmade daily using fresh (never frozen) organic dairy products from local farmers. The small batch ice cream is frozen using liquid nitrogen, which means little air is whipped into the cream, resulting in an ultra creamy, dense texture. Sample seasonal flavors include Blueberry Pie, with organic blueberry preserves and cinnamon streusel, and Yuzu Lemon, which blends lemon, mandarin orange, and grapefruit.

Note: The original Two Dog Night Creamery store in The Barlow center in Sebastopol is temporarily closed after the February floods, but will reopen soon.

Tuesday, 07 May 2019

It is motoring meditation along the rutted back roads of my Virginia homeland.Hand-laid rock walls and split-rail fences lace the boundaries of historic farms and country estates. Songbirds–blue, red, and yellow–dart like rainbows across the road and zigzag trees thick with greenery. Buddha cows wade through the velvet of belly-deep grass, while weathered farmers practice the Zen of John Deere and Toro.

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

As symbols of love, hope and passion, roses are said to have miraculous healing powers and legendary for soothing both heart and soul. "Rose is a rose is a rose," American writer Gertrude Stein so dismissively said, but clearly she had never toured the rose gardens of Sonoma County. This is the time of year to see Sonoma's flowery bounty at its best. This pastoral landscape is filled with rose-inspired escapades of varying colors, fragrances, and form.

Santa Rosa residents honored their patron, Saint Rose, when naming this rose-rich community. Roses are revered each May at the Luther Burbank Rose Parade & Festival. Celebrated for more than 120 years, the festival paid homage to the rose long before the distinguished horticulturalist settled in the region. Known for his work with fruits and vegetables, Luther Burbank’s early work included hybridizing a number of roses which also played a part in his future research. Spectacular in spring, Burbank’s handiwork is beautifully displayed at the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens. Docent-led tours, April through October, include his greenhouse and Greek Revival home.

In gardening vernacular, Hotel La Rose in downtown Santa Rosa is truly Old World. Built in 1907, its timeless granite architecture belies its warm and gracious interior. Historic rooms are named for illustrious founders of Santa Rosa’s Historic Railroad Square, where the hotel resides. The newer Carriage House surrounds a rose-draped courtyard and provides modern-day amenities. As a final compliment to this flourish of flowers, Hotel La Rose’s delightful Romance Rose Package – Sonoma County champagne, chocolates and a dozen red roses– sets the mood for love and romance.

At the Tudor Rose English Tea Room, enjoy the regal charms of high tea surrounded by hundreds to teacups and teapots. High Tea menus honor British royalty and celebrities, everyone from Prince George and Queen Victoria to Harry Potter and Mary Poppins. A variety of delicious repasts include assorted tea sandwiches, scones with house cream, sausage rolls, crumpets with lemon curd, and an endless pot of tea. An homage to Margaret Thatcher, the “Maggie” is pure vegan. Select from more than a dozen teas, including the wonderfully aromatic Tudor Rose.

With more than 425 wineries and 60,000 acres of Sonoma County vineyards, the notion of wine and roses goes far beyond any fantasy. Warm days of spring and summer are ideal for sipping a luscious pink drink of Sonoma County rosé. There are dozens of options, but what could be more fitting than Flowers Vineyard & Winery’s Rosé of Pinot Noir. With aromas of rose petals and subtle hints of strawberry and grapefruit, it’s elegant and distinct. Look for their new Healdsburg tasting room and visitor center in 2019.

Roses Sidebar:See, Savor, and Smell Sonoma Roses

Luther Burbank Rose Parade & Festival – Santa RosaA time-honored tradition, the old-fashioned festival has boasted more than 3,500 participants in the parade and more than 20,000 spectators. Among the parade are local school marching bands, floats, equestrian teams, and units honoring local veterans. Don’t miss the Rose Bloom Competition, which may include as many as 300 entries.

Korbel Champagne Cellars Rose Garden Tours – GuernevilleAccessible only by guided tours mid-April to mid-October, the gardens surrounding the splendid old Korbel farmhouse were redesigned several years ago by a master horticulturalist. With more than 100 varieties of antique roses – tree, climbers, Damascus, pillar – this tour is a real dazzler. A 130-year-old Lamarque rose was a housewarming gift from Luther Burbank to the Korbel family. Once you’re done ogling the garden, check-out the Korbel Champagne Cellars Tour which includes the world’s largest bottle of champagne…120 liters. Enjoy the tasting room and a little lunch on the patio at Korbel Deli & Market. Under the redwoods and with views of the vineyards – breathe deep.

Russian River Rose Company – HealdsburgJan and Michael Tolmasoff have made roses a way of life. With rose cuttings from a feral plant in Mendocino, old homesteads, rose aficionados and others purchased throughout the years their collection now numbers more than 650 varieties from shed-eating ramblers to tiny micro-miniatures from ancient and species roses and developed exclusive cultivars registered by the American Rose Society. Guided and self-guided tours of more than 20 display gardens and vineyards include, of course, a Wine & Rose Garden. Enjoy a fragrant demonstration of their historic Bulgarian perfume-making methods.